Rice Cooker with Outer Steam Tray vs 12 Cup Rice and Grain Cooker: which is safer?

Instant Pot 12 Cup Rice and Grain Cooker is the clear pick. Aroma Rice Cooker with Outer Steam Tray carries a failing PFAS grade, and we never recommend buying a failing product.

Aroma Rice Cooker with Outer Steam Tray

Aroma

Rice Cooker with Outer Steam Tray

PFAS grade

Bad 15/100

Overall grade

Bad 3/100

Verdict

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Hazard flags

⚑ 3

Material

Stainless steel body; inner cooking bowl coating unspecified

Confidence

45%

PossibleNonstick coating degradation (if Teflon-type coating-based)

PossibleAluminum leaching (if bare aluminum inner bowl)

PossibleBacterial or mold growth in steam tray

Our pick

Instant Pot 12 Cup Rice and Grain Cooker

Instant Pot

12 Cup Rice and Grain Cooker

PFAS grade

Excellent 75/100

Overall grade

Good 59/100

Verdict

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Hazard flags

⚑ 3

Material

Stainless steel pot with no nonstick coating

Confidence

82%

PossibleStainless steel corrosion and metal leaching

PossibleSilicone gasket degradation and off-gassing

PossibleBacterial growth in water reservoir or seal cavities

Where these two actually differ

  • We flag Nonstick coating degradation (if PTFE-based), Aluminum leaching (if bare aluminum inner bowl) and Bacterial or mold growth in steam tray on the Aroma and not on the Instant Pot.
  • We flag Stainless steel corrosion and metal leaching, Silicone gasket degradation and off-gassing and Bacterial growth in water reservoir or seal cavities on the Instant Pot and not on the Aroma.
  • The Aroma is Stainless steel body; inner cooking bowl coating unspecified where the Instant Pot is Stainless steel pot with no nonstick coating, which is most of the difference in these two grades.
  • The gap is 60 points, wide enough that this is not a close call, and the Instant Pot is the one to buy.
  • We are less certain about the Aroma grade, at 45% confidence against 82%, because it discloses less.

Both products run through the same public rubric, which covers materials, coatings, brand disclosure, lab findings, and recalls, plus a beyond-PFAS hazard analysis. Grades are model-based estimates, not lab tests. How grades work →

More rice cookers, see the full ranking